Vehicle-body.



v P. w. POMEROY.

VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. 1911.

Patented A pr. 15, 1919.

ggg l lli .w. rozrnnov, on ronnno, omo, assume we run WILLYS-O v' I i OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

OLE-BODY.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Apr. 15, acre.

a lication med m 23, 1917. Serial Ho. 170,445.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pnnor W. Ponmnor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Bodies, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to convertible bodies for motor vehicles, and more particularly to convertible bodies having door and window pillars which are completely removable to convert from a close to an open car.

The principal object of t invention is to provide an improved removable pillar construction having detachable connections with the top and body, and locking and tensioning means intermediate the detachable connections. Another object is to provide a removable pillar comprised of a plurality of sections and locked and tensioned against both vertical and horizontal movement. Another object is to provide an improved removable pillar construction having separable engaging and locking means whereby the pillar may be secured to the body and top quickly, and then looked under tension. Another object is to provide a ,fl removable mar construction such that,

Fig. III is an enlarged, sectional view, taken .on line III-III of Fig. II, showing the locking means;

Fi IV is an elevational view, looking in the dlrection of the arrow in Fig. III, showby the devices and means described in the followin specification: My invention is clearly efined andpointed out in the'appended claims. A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in wlnch: 1

Figure I is a side elevation of a motor vehicle body in which my-invention is embodied;

Fi II is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectiona view taken substantially on line II-II of Fig. I showin the detachable connections at the ends oft e pillar sections and the locking and tensioning means intermediate said ends;

mg the eccentric locking member;

ig. V is a blank of the keeper;

F 1g. VI is an enlarged, sectional view, similar to the lower portion of Fi II, showing the pillar and connection be ore it is placed under tension;

Fig. VII is a perspective view of the resillent tongue portion of the detachable connect on;

Fig. VIII is a perspective view' of the angle plate forming part of the detachable connection Fig. IX 'is a sectional view showing a I modified form of locking means;

Fig. X is a sectional view taken on line X-X of Fig. IX;

Fig. XI is a sectional view taken on line XIXI of Fig. IX; and

Fig. XII is a perspective view of the angle plate forming part of the locking means.

In the drawings, similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and the sectional views are Wtaken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Considering the numbered parts of the drawing, 1 represents the body of the motor vehicle, and 2 the permanent top. The removable or demountable pillars comprise upper and lower sections 3 and 4, which are detachably connected at their ends to the body 1, and the permanent top 2, respectively, and serve as guides for the edges of the windows 5, as shown in Fig. I. When it is desired to convert the closed vehicle, shown in Fig. I, into a vehicle of the open type, the windows 5 are lowered into the body and the pillar sections are released and disconnected from the top and body,

tongue portion 6' of the plate 6 may extend. As the tongue portion 6' of the plate 6 is extended through the opening 12 of the angle plate 9, the outturned lug 8 engages the slot 13, and, to secure the pillar un er tension, an edge 14 of the angle plate 9 presses against the inner side of the plate 6, while the body portion of the plate 9 between the slots 12 and 13 engages the other side of the resilient plate 6, the'parts arranged to tension thepillar against lateral movement when the pillar sections are held in vertical position. (See Figs. II and VI). To allow for the removal of the tongue portion 6 of the plate 6, a recess 15 is provided in the top 2.

To lock and tension the pillars against both lateral and vertical movement, I provide a device for locking the inner ends of the sections 3 and 4 together and cotipcrating with the connection means between the sections and the body and top to draw the sections together laterally and longitudinally to place them under tension. A recess 16 is provided in the upper end of the pillar section 4, in which is secured'a' cup 17 by screws 18. Mounted in the cup 17 is a spindle 19 having an operating handle 20 at its outer end. The spindle 19 is held against lateral movement by the shoulder 21 and the pin 22. Mounted on the spindle 19 is an eccentric latch 23, the same being secured b a pin 26. The inner side of the face 24 o the latch 23 is adapted to engage the keeper member to be hereinafter described. The edges 25 of the face 24 are wedge-shaped and are adapted to engage the keeper member to secure the pillar against lateral movement. 7 recessed at 27 to receive a keeper member 28, secured by screws 29. The upturned ends 30 of the keeper 28 have curved edges 31 and are adapted to be engaged by the inner face 24 of the eccentric latch 23.

When it is desired to mount the removable pillar in place, the detachable connections between the pillar sections and the top and body respectively are placed together in the. manner indicated and the sections forced into place. The inner ends of the section when brought into alinement are secured together by a rotation of the spindle 19, the eccentric latch 23 being turned into engagement with the keeper member 28, and by means of the engagement between the plates 6 and 9 as described, and the action of the eccentric latch on the curved surfaces 31 of the keeper 28, together with the wedg-' ing action of the edges 25 of the latch against the sides of the keeper 28, the pillar sections are tensioned laterally' and longitudinally and locked under tension.

In Figs. IX to XII, I have shown a The pillar section3- is modified form of locking and tensioning device in which a recess 35 is formed in the pillar section 3 to receive a tapered socket 36. The socket 36 is adapted to receive a tapered pin 37. The tapered-pin 37 has an enlarged head 38 which, when brought into locking engagement, rests on the underside of an angle bracket 39, secured to the upper end of the pillar section 4. The tapered pin 37 has a laterally extending arm 40', on which is slidably mounted \an' operating. handle 41 and a tensioning cam 42. Secured to the inner face of the pillar section 3 isa' slotted recessed member 43 which is adapted to receive the tensioning cam 42. When the pillar sections 3 and 4 are brought into alinement, the tapered pin 37 is pushed into the socket 36 with the'smallest radius of the eccentric 42 being nearest pillar section 4. To draw the pillar sections longitudinally, the operating handle is turned, and the engagement of cam 42 with member 43 thus draws the sections together. To hold the operating handle and cam against move ment after the parts have been brought into locked position, I provide holes 44 in the member 43, and a pin 45 on the eccentric 42; the pin 45 being adapted to engage in any one of the h01cs'44. To insure that the eccentric 42 will be held in engagement with the member 43, a spring 46. is mounted on the arm 40, one end of which rests against the shoulder 47 of the operating handle 41, and the other against the head 48 of the extension arm 40. It will be noted that the pillar sections'3 and 4 and connecting parts are slotted to allow for movement of theextension arm 40 and permit it to be lowered into the pillar section 4. The pillar section 4 is counterb ored gt 50 to receive the tapcred'pi'n 37 when it is desired to drop the locking means into this section so that the pillar sections may be disengaged and the pillars removed from the body.

I am aware that the embodiment of my invention here shown and described is susceptible of considerable variation without departing from the spirit of my invention and, therefore, I desire to claim the same broadly as well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'is:

1. In a vehicle, the combination of a body; a top; a removable pillar comprising two sections; means for detachably connecting said pillar sections to said top and body reand said body respectively, said means operating to permit tensioning of said pillar sections when in place, and means for interlocking the inner ends of said pillar sections. Y

3. In a vehicle, the combination of a body; a top; a removable pillar comprising two sections; engaging members secured to said sections and having each an outturned lug; plates secured to the top and body respectively and each having a slot adapted to detachably receive the outturned lug of the corresponding engaging member; and means for interlocking the inner ends of said pillar sections.

4. In a vehicle, the combination of a body, a top, a removable pillar comprising a plurality of sections, pillar connecting members secured to said sections, plates secured to the top and body respectively adapted to detachably receive said connecting members, said members and plates constructed to permit the tensioning of the pillar sections against lateral movement and means for connecting said pillar sections.

5. In a vehicle, the combination of a body; a top; a removable pillar comprising two sections; means for detachably connecting said pillar sections to said top and body respectively; and means for interlocking and tensioning said pillar sections against both vertical ,and horizontal movement.

6. In a vehicle, the combination of a body; a top; a removable pillar comprising two sections; means for detachable connecting said pillar sections to said top and body respectively; a latch rotatably mounted in one of the pillar sections; and a keeper mounted in the other pillar section and engagea'ble b said latch to interlock the inner ends 0 the pillar sections.

7. In a vehicle, the combination of a body;

a top; a removable pillar comprising two sections; means for detachably connecting said pillar sections to said to respectively; an eccentric latdli rotatably mounted in one of the pillar sections; and a keeper mounted in the other and engageable by the latch to draw the pillar sections together.

8. In a vehicle, the combination of a body;

a top; a removable pillar comprising two sections; means for detachably connecting said pillarsections to said top and body respectively; an eccentric latch carried by one of said sections and having flanges at the edge thereof; and a keeper .carried by the other section and having upturned edges engageable by said flanges.

9. In a vehicle, the combination of a body;

a top; a removable pillar comprising two sections; means for detachably connecting drawn together and tensioned against longlbody; a top; a removable two-part pillar;

and body pillar section,

said pillar sections to said top and body respectively; an eccentric latch carried by one of said sections and having converging flanges; and a keeper carried by the other section and having upturned edgesengageable by the inner face of said latch and sides engagea'ble by the converging flanges of said latch, whereby, when the latch is turned to locking position, the pillarsections will be tudinal and lateral movement.

10. In a vehicle, the combination of a body; a top; a two-part removable pillar, detachably connected to said top and body respectively; and means for locking said pillar in position, located intermediate the ends thereof.

11. In a vehicle, the combination of a detachably connected to said top and body respectively; and means for locking said pillar in position and tensioning it agalnst lateral and longitudinal movement, located intermediate the ends thereof. I

12. In a vehicle, the combination of a body; a top; a removable two-part pillar, detachably connected to said top and body respectively; and means 'for interlockmg the parts of said pillar.

13. In a vehicle,

v the combination of a 'body; a top; a removable two-part pillar;

means resiliently and detachably connecting said pillar to said top and body respectively; and means for interlocklng the adj acent ends of said pillar parts.

14. In a vehicle, the combination of a body, a top, a removable multlple-part lllar detachably connected to said top an said body respectively, and means for connecting the parts of said illar.

15. In a vehic e, the comblnationof a body, a top, a removable multiple-part illar detachably connected to said top an said body respectivel means for connectingthe parts of said pillar, and means for tensioning said pillar against lateral movement. 7

16. In a vehicle, the combination of a j body, a top, a removable pillar compris ng a plurality of sections, pillar connecting members secured .to said sections, sald members bein provided with an out-turned lu slotted p ates secured to the top and b y respectively being adapted-to detachably re-. ceive saidconnectin members with the lugs 115 located within the s ots, and means for connecting said pillar sections wherebythe same ature. 

